Following a brief from a global activewear brand focused on deepening cultural relevance across Europe, we were asked to unpack how their key drivers of brand consideration are understood and experienced locally and what brand marketing needs to do differently across key cities in Europe to build genuine familiarity and emotional connection. We designed a three-phase qualitative approach combining cultural analysis, immersive online consumer diaries and follow-up depth interviews. This gave us a layered picture of how the brand is perceived on the ground, where it falls short of expectation, and which signals actually move people. The output delivered a clear localisation framework for EMEA brand marketing: how each consideration driver lands differently by market and activity, how the brand stacks up against competitors, and a sharp set of strategic principles to guide what to dial up, what to avoid, and what to build for the long term.

Following a brief from a heritage sportswear brand returning a key licence in-house, we were asked to define the role their womenswear could credibly play at the intersection of sport, fashion and lifestyle and what it would take to win in the category today. We designed a multi-phase sprint combining cultural scanning, category decoding and a curated in-person roundtable with high-impact tastemakers. Rather than starting with the brand, we started with the cultural landscape: mapping where sport-inspired womenswear is heading aesthetically, commercially and socially, and identifying the whitespace between performance and aspirational identity where the brand had genuine permission to play. The output gave the brand clear strategic direction across positioning, product, retail and community - grounded in a sharp understanding of what modern women want from sport-rooted brands, and where this brand could carve out a differentiated and credible role.

Following a brief from a global footwear retailer with deep basketball heritage, we were asked to understand how basketball culture has evolved for the next generation of European consumers and what it would take for the brand to reclaim cultural leadership in the category. We designed a focused nine-week sprint combining expert cultural interviews, qualitative fieldwork and ethnographic research across key European cities. Rather than approaching basketball through the lens of the NBA or traditional sport fandom, we explored how Gen Z engages with the culture through fashion, gaming, local scenes, creators and social media, mapping city-level nuance across markets to surface what basketball actually means to a generation that inherited the culture differently. The output gave the brand clear strategic direction across brand, retail, partnerships and storytelling . grounded in a contemporary understanding of who the modern basketball consumer in Europe is, and how to show up credibly for them.

Following a brief from a global performance sportswear brand, we were asked to define what a market-leading lightweight jacket should be - functionally, culturally, and commercially - across three key markets. We designed a two-phase project combining AI-moderated interviews at scale with deep cultural and semiotic analysis. In the first phase, we mapped macro cultural shifts and translated them into category-specific opportunity territories, understanding how jackets are used and what they signal across performance and everyday contexts. In the second phase, we went deeper conducting tastemaker interviews with leading-edge consumers across the US, UK and Japan, alongside granular semiotic decoding of how lightweight jackets function as cultural signals through materials, silhouettes, branding codes and styling. The output gave the brand a clear, actionable definition of the future lightweight jacket: design principles, material and feature direction, branding codes, and a framework for how the category should sit across performance and lifestyle.

Following a brief from a global fast fashion retailer facing a growing perception gap, we were asked to define what quality means to their customers and identify which signals actually drive confidence to buy. We designed a multi-phase project combining cultural and semiotic analysis, qualitative in-market fieldwork, and quantitative prioritisation. Rather than approaching quality as a technical specification, we explored it as a set of cues and shortcuts that shoppers use to judge whether a product can be trusted, in-store, online, and versus competitors. The result was a ranked hierarchy of quality drivers, giving the brand clear guidance on where to focus product and communication effort to shift perception at scale.

Following a brief from a leading Dutch bank, we were asked to pressure-test a new youth campaign concept against real street culture determining whether the idea would genuinely resonate with young urban audiences or read as inauthentic brand expression. We designed a focused qualitative sprint built around face-to-face focus groups across two Dutch cities, recruiting young people from contrasting socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds. The deliberate tension in group composition allowed us to stress-test the concept across the full breadth of youth culture, not just a comfortable slice of it. Through structured but raw in-room sessions, we moved from concept reaction to cultural deconstruction to light co-creation, surfacing not just whether the idea landed, but precisely how to sharpen it. The result was a direct strategic output giving the brand clear, actionable direction on language, visuals and activation, everything needed to make the campaign feel genuinely owned by the audience it was made for.

Following a brief to redefine the role of a leading dating platform, we partnered with a progressive player in the category to move the brand beyond a narrow perception of sexual experimentation towards a broader, more meaningful space. We designed a fast, multi-phase sprint combining cultural analysis, existing knowledge, and fresh qualitative research across two core markets. Rather than focusing purely on dating behaviours, we explored how people use relationships as a way to understand themselves: testing boundaries, shaping identity and navigating evolving definitions of intimacy. Through in-depth and paired interviews, we uncovered the emotional drivers, tensions and contradictions shaping modern connection, from the gap between how platforms are perceived and how exploration actually unfolds in real life, to the growing fluidity of identity, labels and relationship norms. Working collaboratively with the client team, we translated these insights into a clear strategic narrative, connecting cultural shifts, category dynamics, audience needs and brand opportunity. This formed the foundation for a new platform, designed not just to reposition the brand, but to guide how it shows up across product, partnerships and communication. The result is a culturally grounded brand platform that will inspire comminication and brand activity in the years to come

Following a brief to make online safety tangible for a new generation, we partnered with a leading telecom and their creative agency to uncover where the digital world quietly breaks down in everyday life. Rather than starting from macro narratives around safety, misinformation and screen time, we focused on the small, often overlooked moments where things actually start to feel off: the message that lingers, the algorithm that pulls you in, the interaction that doesn’t feel quite right. We designed a month-long digital diary with young people across the Netherlands, capturing these frictions in real time through the platforms where they naturally exist. Instead of retrospective answers, participants shared screenshots, voice notes and in-the-moment reflections, allowing us to build a raw, unfiltered picture of their digital lives. From this, we mapped recurring patterns, emotional triggers and behavioural tensions, translating micro-moments into clear friction territories and strategic themes. Crucially, this moved the conversation away from abstract trends towards something far more tangible, human and actionable to make great advertisement around.

Following a large-scale study among young people in major Dutch cities, we partnered with a leading bank to translate cultural insight into concrete leadership action. We designed hands-on workshops with senior leadership to operationalise our findings across product, brand, and communication. We identified where current products fall short of young people’s lived realities, and defined clear principles for how they should evolve. We also built a sharper communication framework: what isn’t working today, how the brand should show up, and a tone of voice grounded in honesty and relatability. Finally, we developed an “attract, engage, delight” framework, outlining where and how to connect with this audience in a way that feels culturally relevant. The result is a clear, actionable roadmap, turning insight into decisions, and helping the bank build a more meaningful role in the lives of urban youth.

We partnered with a global technology organisation to explore a growing blind spot: as AI becomes more embedded in everyday life, the way we understand people is increasingly reduced to data, prompts and outputs. In response, we built a more holistic view of behaviour, combining expert perspectives, cultural analysis and real-world observation to understand how people are actually living with AI, not just how they describe it. Rather than focusing only on behaviour, we looked at how people are interpreting, adapting to and, at times, resisting these systems as they become part of everyday life. What became clear is that as systems become more intelligent, the challenge isn’t just keeping up with behaviour, but holding onto a deeper understanding of the human experience in all its complexity, contradiction and nuance

We've partnered with a global footwear retailer to build an ongoing youth community: a network of 50 young people across three European markets that we engage monthly via WhatsApp. This always-on setup allows us to test campaigns, brand ideas and cultural signals in real time, via a platform people use anyway, creating an ongoing relationship with consumers and giving the brand a constant pulse on youth culture in a way that is cost-efficient, fluid and fast.

We partnered with a global beer brand to explore the role of football rituals in people’s lives in Germany and Belgium, in the lead-up to the World Cup. Through in-depth interviews, we unpacked moments of togetherness, matchday routines, drinking behaviours and emotional build-up, revealing how football occasions act as social glue, shaping connection, identity and celebration far beyond the 90 minutes on screen.

We partnered with a global dairy brand to decode the cultural forces reshaping the dairy category worldwide: from gut health and functional protein to protection, nostalgia and economic pressure. To ensure the insights travelled beyond slides, we created curated trend boxes featuring real-world products alongside a beautifully designed printed report, turning strategy into something leadership could physically experience and rally behind.

We worked with a global activewear brand to understand how community expectations are evolving across APAC and how leadership can be maintained in an increasingly crowded landscape. Through multi-market cultural research in Thailand, Korea, Australia, Hong Kong and Japan we looked at grassroots communities, creators, and local rituals, and we mapped emerging formats and signals shaping participation today. The work informed a clearer, more locally fluent approach to community strategy across the region.

We partnered with a global retailer to understand how Gen Z sneaker culture is evolving across cities and scenes, and how an ageing segmentation could be made more relevant and actionable. Through multi-city cultural research across Italy, France, and the UK interviewing 78 young people - combining home visits with retail shopalongs - we revealed how identity, community, and local context shape choice, perception, and segmentation at a local level. The work delivered clearer audience understanding and market-specific direction for showing up more credibly in youth culture across nine cities.

We worked with a major Dutch financial institution to understand how urban Gen Z audiences experience money, pressure, and everyday life. Through 25 in-home ethnography sessions, social analytics, and a panel discussion on the big reveal day, we captured the financial realities of young people in all the major Dutch cities. The work informed strategic direction on how a legacy institution can build emotional relevance and cultural connection with a young urban generation.

We partnered with a Dutch media organisation to examine how different media diets shape emotion, perspective, and sense-making of the world. Through a live behavioural experiment and longitudinal observation, we revealed the contrasting emotional impact of social versus traditional news consumption. The work culminated in a broadcast-quality film, now used for industry events and thought leadership.

We worked with a global footwear retailer to explore how a culturally iconic sneaker could evolve without losing what makes it matter. Through deep, multi-city cultural work in Paris, Milan and London, we unpacked how relevance is built, protected, and extended within local youth culture. The work provided strategic direction on how to broaden appeal responsibly, enabling future growth while safeguarding the franchise's cultural credibility.

We worked with a global dairy organisation to sharpen how long-term cultural and societal change informs the dairy choices of the future. By reframing and simplifying an existing trends system, working with global EMEA experts and interviewing 40 consumers, we created a clearer line from external shifts to brand and commercial decisions in the future. The work helped teams move from abstract trend awareness to shared direction, stronger organisation prioritisation, and more confident action towards the future.

We worked with a global dairy organisation to reimagine an internal communication platform as something more editorial, engaging, and culturally alive. Through close collaboration with internal teams, we developed a flexible design and content framework that could evolve month by month. The result was a clearer, more inspiring way to share insight and direction, turning routine updates into something people actually wanted to read.

We partnered with a European theme park to explore how different audiences experience the park in real life. Through in-park ethnography, filmed walk-throughs, and live observation, we captured how moments, environments, and interactions shape overall park perception and choice during the visit. The work informed a new audience strategy on experience design and communication and left the team with a beautiful film that brought it all to life.